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TA. BISSBLL. a VESTIBULE HOOD FOB, CARS.

No. 449,896. Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

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'11A'. BISSBLLL` VESTIBULE HOOD FOR GARS..

Patented Apr.- 7,1891.

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T.. A. BISSELL. VBSTIBULB HOOD FUR GARS.

Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. BISSELL, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

VESTlBULE-HOOD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,896, dated April '7, 1891. Application filed December 12,. 1890. Serial No. '374,419. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, vt may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. BIssELL, a citizen of the United States, residingr at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vest-ibule-Hoods for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vestibule-cars having hoods which form a closed passage between the vestibules of two adjoining oarssuch, for instance, as are shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 435,676, granted to me September 2, 1890.

The present invention is an improvement upon the construction which forms the subject of said Letters Patent. ln the former construction the hood consisted of two parts, one being attached to each vestibule and each part forming one side and a portion of the top of the hood, so that when two cars are coupled together the curtain of each car extended over the platform of the other car, and to which it was detachably secured byfa vertical sliding rod carrying hooks which engaged in eyes on the vertical edge of the curtain and by a rockshaft at the top carrying similar hooks which engaged in the eyes at the top edge of the curtain.

The objects of this invention are to improve the construction of the curtains which form the hood and to improve the devices by which the edges of the curtains are detachably secured to the cars.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the end portions of two adjoining railway-cars provided with my irnprovements. Fig. 2 is a fragmentarysectional elevation of the fastening mechanism on an enlarged scale, whereby the edges of the curtains are detachably secured. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the fastenings released. Fig.

j et is a view showing the trip-lever of the fastcal section in line a: a', Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale. Fig. ll is a vertical section in line y y, Fig. 7, on an enlarged scale.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A A represent the side walls of the vestibules of two adjoining cars, and A A the end frames thereof. Each vestibule is provided on one side of its end entrance with an upright or side curtain B, which is attached at its inner edge to the end frame A by screws or other suitable fastenings. This side cnrtain extends across the space between the adjoining vestibules and forms one side of the connecting-hood. Each side curtain Bis provided at its outer edge with eyes b, which are adapted to engage with upwardly-projecting hooks b', secured to a-vertically-sliding rod O, attached to the opposite vestibule. The side curtains and sliding rods of two adjoining cars stand diagonally1 opposite each other and form together the sides of the hood connecting the vestibules. The sliding rod C is guided in a vertical tube D, which is supported at itsupper and lower ends in brackets c c', secured to the inner sides of the end frame A.

hook b passes.

f is a spiral spring arranged within the lower portion of the tube D between the lower end of the sliding rod and a plug closing the bottom of the tube. This spring holds the sliding rod in an elevated position, in which its hooks engage with the eyes b of the curtain. The outer portions of the hooks are guided in slotted lugs g, formed on the lower sides of sleeves G, as in my former construction.

H represents the trip-lever, by which the sliding rod is depressed for withdrawing its hooks from the eyes of the curtain. This triplever is pivoted at its lower end to the up- This tube is provided for each.v hook with a Vertical slot e2, th rough which the`v per bracket e, and is provided at its lower outer side with a cam-face 71, which bears downwardly against the upper end of thc sliding rod C.

j represents a releasing-chain, which is secured with one end to the end of one car, and is loosely attached with the other end to a hook or notch j, formed at the upper enl of the trip-lever of the opposing car. These chains are of such length that they will hang slack and not operate the triplevers so long as the cars remain coupled, as represented in Fig. 2. Vhen the cars are uncouplcd from any cause, the chains are drawn taut and pull the trip-levers outwardly into the position represented in Fig. 3, thereby causing the cams on the lower portions of the trip`levers to depress the sliding rods and automatically disconnect their hooks from the eyes of the curtains. Vhen the trip-levers assume the forwardly-inchned position indicated in Fig. 3, they permit the end links of the chains to draw out of the notches in the ends of the trip-levers. This mechanism is similar in construction to that which is described in my Letters Patent above referred to.

K represents catches whereby the end links of the chainsj are held in the notches of the trip-levers when the cars are coupled and the trip-levers aie in an upright position, and which also retain the trip-levers in a depressed position when the cars are uncoupled. Each of these catches is arranged above its respect-ive trip-lever and pivoted with its lower end to the side of thebrackete in rear of the trip-lever. The upper free end of the-catch is arranged in the bifurcated extension 'L, formed at the upper end of the trip-lever. The upwardly-extending armsllforming this extension are connected by a pin, which is surrounded by an anti-friction roller Z', and which passes transversely through a longitudinal slot?, formed in the catch. The outer end of the slot Z2 is provided with a recessed or depressed portion m, forming a shoulder m on the lower side of the slot, which is adapted to receive the roller Z of the tripleVGI.

m2 represents a downwardl y-proj ectin g toe formed at the outer end of the' catch. This toe is adapted to lie across the notch of the trip-lever when the lat-ter is in a depressed position, as represented in Fig. 4. When the cars are coupled and the trip-lever is in a raised or normal position, the lower portion of the catch extends across the open end of the notch in the trip-lever and prevents the end link of the chain from disengaging itself therefrom, as represented in Fig. 2. Then the cars are separated and the chains pull the trip-levers outwardly and downwardly, the roller Z of each trip-lever moves outwardly in the slot of the catch, whereby-the latter is depressed. Vhen the roller of the trip-lever reaches the outer end of the slot in the catch, the continued pull on the chain causes the the vestibule.

end link to engage against the toe of the catch,thereby raising the latter sufficiently to permit the chain to detach itself from said notch. As the catch is raised, the roller of the trip-lever enters the depressed portion m of the slot in the catch. The instant the chain is disconnected from the trip-lever by drawing out of its notch the spring f suddenly raises the trip-lever through the medium of the sliding rod C and causes the roller of the trip-lever to bear against the shoulder m of the depressed portion of the slot in the catch, whereby the trip-lever is held in a depressed position, as represented in Fig. 3. Each of the trip-levers is held in this depressed position until the end link of its chain is again engaged with the notch of the lever, when by giving the chain and. trip-lever a short downward pull the roller of th-e latter disengages itself from the shoulder m', allowing the catch to drop, thereby permitting the trip-lever to resume its normal or elevated position. A thumb piece or handle n is preferably attached to the upper end of the trip-lever to permit the latter to be manipulated by hand. rlhisconstruction forms a very simple and effective lock, whereby the releasing-chains are securely held in placel when the parts are in a normal position and are automatically released when the cars are uncoupled. The catch also serves to hold the trip-lever in a depressed position when the cars are uncoupled,which enables the releasing-chain to be readily attached to the triplever preparatory to again connecting the curtains of the adjoining cars.

O represents the roof-curtains forming the top of the hood connecting the vestibules. Each of these top curtains extends from a point near the upper end of one side curtain across the opposite side of the vestibule, and then downwardly a short distance on the outer side of the other side curtain, so as to overlap the upper portion of the latter. The roof-curtains of both cars overlap each other, and the roof-curtain of one car overlaps the side curtain of the opposing car, thereby forming a tight joint between the vestibules of two adjoining cars, as represented in Figs; l and 8. In Fig.8 the roof and side curtains of one car are shown in full lines and those of the other car in dotted lines.

O represents an elongated transverse bracket secured to the end of the car above Each bracket is provided with a rock-shaf t P, which carries hooks p, adapted to engage in eyes p on the free edge of the roofcurtain of the adjacent car. Each rockshaft is preferably composed of two inclined sections p2 p3, which rise toward the center of the car, and a short horizontal end section p4, which is connected with the trip-lever by a rod p5, so that the rock-shaft is actuated sim ultaneously with the movable vertical rod. The sections of the rock-shaft are connected with each other by universal joints, as shown, or

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other suitable devices. By raising the rockshaft in the center the roof-curtain slopes from the center toward both sides and sheds the water more readily; but, if desired, the rock-shaft may be arranged horizontally, so as to form a fiat roof, in which case a continuous rock-shaft is employed.

Each transverse bracket is made hollow or recessed on its upper side to form a trough in which the transverse rock-shaft is arranged. The latter is journaled in bearings q q', secured to the face of the car above the brackets, and a bearing q2, formed in a casing g3, secured to the upper part of the side bracket e. Each bracket is provided in front of the rock-shaft at intervals with open-topped pockets fr, in which the hooks of the rock-shaft play. shafts the hooks project above the upper edges of the pockets and remain in engagement with the eyes of the roof-curtain of the adjoining car. lVhen the rock-shaft is turned downwardly Jto-release the roof-curtain, the hooks descend below the upper edges of the pockets, which latter prevent the roof-curtains from following the hooks in their downward movement, and so strip the root-curtain from the hooks. The brackets are provided between the pockets with forwardly-project-ing lugs s, to which the roof-curtain of the car is secured by bolts or rivets. These lugs are surmonnted by caps S, which are secured with their lower ends upon the curtain and are secured with their upper ends to the front side of the vestibule. The roof-curtain is provided in its rear edge with notches s', which clear the pockets of the bracket and permit the front edge of the roof-curtain of the adjacent car to be drawn under the rear edge of this roof-curtain and over the pockets of the brackets, so that its eyes can be'engaged over the hooks of the rock-shaft.

T represents sp1-in g-catches arranged above the hooks of the rock-shafts, whereby the eyes ot' the roof-curtains are prevented from becoming accidentallydetached from said hooks. As more clearly represented in Fig. l0, each of these spring-catches consists of a depending arm t, pivoted at its upper end to bifurcated lugs formed on a plate t', secured to the face of the vestibule above the rock-shaft, and terminates above the upper end of the rockshaft hook. The depending arm of the catch is provided in its rear side with a nose t, which limits the upward movement of the eye and retains the same upon its hook. Each catch is held in its normal position in line with the hooks by spiral springs t3, interposed between the depending arm and the front side of its supporting-plate.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a railway-car provided with a vestibule, of a movable rod provided with hooks adapted to hold the curtain of an adjacent car, a trip-lever whereby said rod is moved to disengage its hooks from the In the normal position of the rock' curtain, and a-catch engaging with said triplever, whereby the trip-lever is retained in its released position, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a railway-car provided with a vestibule, of a movable rod provided with hooks adapted to hold the curtain of an adjacent car, a trip-lever whereby said rod is moved to disengage its hooks from the curtain and having a notch, a chain engaging with one end in said notch and secured at its other end to the opposing car, and a catch arranged across the open end of said notch, whereby the chain is prevented from becoming disengaged whenV the trip-lever is in its normal position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a railway-car provided with a vestibule, of a movable supporting-rod provided with hooks adapted'to hold the curtain of an adjacent car, a trip-lever whereby said rod is moved to disengage its hooks from the curtain and provided with a notch in its upper end, a chain arranged with one end in said notch and secured with its other end to the opposing car, a pin or roller secured to said lever, and a catch projecting across the open end of said notch when the parts are in a normal position and provided with a slot which receives the roller or pin of the trip-lever, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a railway-car provided with a vestibule, of a movable rod provided with hooks adapted to hold the curtain of an adjacent car, a trip-lever whereby said rod is moved to disengage its hooks from the curtain and provided with a notch in its upper end, a chain arranged with one end in said notch and secured with its other end to the opposing car, a pin or roller secured to said lever, a catch having a slot which receives the roller of the trip-lever, and a depression in said slot forming a shoulder against which said roller engages and which retains the trip-lever in a depressed position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a railway-car provid ed with a vestibule, of a movable-rod having hooks adapted to hold a curtain attached to an adjacent car, a trip-lever whereby said rod is moved to disengage its hooks from the curtain and provided with a notch in its upper end, a chain arranged with one end in said notch and secured at its other end to the opposing car, a pin or roller on said lever, a catch having a slot which receives the roller of the trip-lever and a depression in said slot, and a toe formed on said catch and arranged across the notch of the trip-lever, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination, with a railway-car provided with a vestibule, of a transverse rockshaft provided with fastenings and composed of connected sections arranged at an angle to each other above the end opening of the vestibule for the reception of the roof-curtain of the adjacent car, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a railway-car pro- Ico IIO

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vided with zy vestibule, of a transverse roekand intermediate lugs, and a top Curtain seshaft provided with hooks, and a bracket procured to said lugs, substantially as set forth. 1o vided with pockets in which said hooks pley, Witness my hand this 10th day of Decemsubstautizilly as set forth. ber, 1800. 5 S. The combination, with a railway-ear pro- THOMAS A. BISSEL'L.

vided with a vestibule, of a transverse roek- Vitnesses: shaft provided with hooks, a bracket pro- THEO. L. POPP, vided with pockets in which said hooks play FRED. G. GEYER. 

